About Me

Hi Everyone. My name is Crystal and I am a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer based in NYC. I wasn't always in the fitness industry. For 10 years of my life, I was a Fashion designer in the NYC garment district. Years of long hours, high stress and unhealthy habits like lack of sleep, living off of coffee and sugar just to get through the day, and neglecting my workouts because "I didn't have the time". Overseas travel was also starting to become a part of my Fall schedule, and these were long exhausting trips where there was not much access to healthy food choices or time to get in a workout. I remember coming home from my first trip, and I realized, that this lifestyle did not align with who I was. It did not align with what was important to me and it certainly was not in alignment with what I wanted to teach my future children. My family life, marriage and health were all being compromised and I knew that I needed more. The one thing that always made me feel calm and accomplished, was when I worked out. Whether it was with a trainer, with friends, alone, at home or in a class (I loved and still love classes), working out just made me feel good. It reminded me how important it was to make time for myself and how healing self care can be. I started to make fitness more of a priority and I started asking a lot of questions and reading and learning about fitness and nutrition. The more interested I became, the more fitness goals I started setting for myself. I started doing obstacle races, 2 half marathons and then I shifted my focus and decided to compete in a Bikini Competition. This is where I learned so much about what NOT to doin regards to health and nutrition. I was depriving myself of so many nutritious things just to be "lean" enough for the stage. I was counting and measuring and obsessing over food. I started to fear certain foods like fruit, because I was told not to eat these things in order to look a certain way. After my last show, I was unhappy, unhealthy and depressed. I had a bad relationship with food and I wasn't enjoying my workouts. I knew something needed to change. At that point, I had quit my job in fashion, and I was about to take a job as a personal trainer. How was I going to be able to help clients reach their Fitness and wellness goals, if I was a mess right? So I did something about it. I enrolled myself in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition Health coaching program and I became certified as a Health and Wellness Coach. Saying that this was a life changing choice would be an understatement. I learned about the importance of the quality of food rather than just the quantity. I learned how to love myself and how to teach my clients how to love their bodies at all stages an how to recognize their strengths and non scale victories. I was able to now teach them to prioritize the important things in their life, the "primary foods" and not just stress over "diets"(such a dirty word to me). I wanted to teach them that Fitness and wellness is a lifestyle and it should be enjoyed and embraced. If we show our body love and respect, our body will take care of us. So I welcome you to my page, and I encourage you to embark on your own wellness journey.

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